▶ Your Answer :
The reading passage contends that imposing
congestion pricing has several important advantages. On the other hand, the
lecturer brings up several points which contradict this argument.
First, according to the passage, congestion
pricing decreases the number of accidents by reducing the volume of traffic and
thus making driving much safer. However, the speaker refutes this claim by
saying that even though the overall number of accidents declines, these
accidents have more severe damage since the driving speed increases. A report
by the government also shows that when the speed rises for 30 percent, the
possibility of serious injury becomes double.
Second, the writer asserts that public
transportation system becomes more convenient to use as there is less delays
due to a smaller number of cars. On the other hand, the lecturer casts doubts
on this argument by arguing this is not true in the long-term view. This is
because more and more people will use public transportation, its capacity will
exceed its limit. Accordingly, people will feel discomfort and it will be more
difficult for them to get in as they have to wait.
The final point made by the author is that
congestion fee will benefit business within a city by saving them fuel
consumption and preventing delays in the delivery of goods. However, the
speaker counters this assertion by pointing out that the fee will cause a loss
to local business. According to one survey, local retails faced some damage in
their profits because they have to pay the extra fee, which lags their sales.
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